Spring-vehicle



( No Model.)

T. R. BEVANS.

SPRING .VEHIGLE.

Patented Nov. 2, 1886.. 7

Inventor Z, y a B Q N. PETERS Pnowumu m. Wnshir-glnn, D. c.

' springs of proper capacity and yet locate the the body are three transverse strips, u, Figs.

both forward wheels appearing in said Fig. 2;

'ing greater than the arc of the rear, to com- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS R. BEVANS, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

SPRING-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent Nb. 351,826, dated November 2, 1886.

Application filed April 15, 1886.

To all whom it may concern.-

v Be it known that I, THOMAS R. BEVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Vehicle, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to effect certain improvements,below described and claimed, designed to simplify, cheapen, and increase the utility of the vehicle, and to greatly facilitate the manufacture of the same.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows a side elevation, with the axles in cross-section; Fig. 2, an end elevation, looking from a point at right of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, a plan of forward part of the vehicle, with body removed; Fig. 4:, an enlarged broken portion of the body, (in perspective,) the end of said figure being in section; Fig. 5, under view of forward end of the body, Fig.6, a section enlarged on the dotted line 1 1 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a plan of the reach in Fig. 1.

Referring to the letters of reference marked on the drawings, E E are the axles. Oneach side of each axle is an elliptical spring, parallel with each other and with the axle. These springs rest upon and are secured to the free ends of the supporting-bars c, which bars are transverse to the axle, and are secured at their center to the under side of said axle. These bars 0 are trussed by the bowed bars a, thus securing a simple and strong support for the springs c c, and locating the lower bow of the springs on a plane below the main portion of the axle, the design being to have body lower. Thus far described, the springs at the front and rear are alike, except as to dimensions, the arc of the forward ellipsisbepensate for the difference in the size of the forward and rear wheels, in order that the body shall be level.

The body-bottom a rests upon and is bolted to the springs at the rear end. A small block, 0, provided with a circle-iron, c, on top, is bolted on top of the forward springs, Figs. 1, 3, 6. On the under side of the forward end of 1 and 5, bearingmetal plates 8 s, so arranged that each one is in" the plane of the circle 2:. Thus, when the bottom a is placed on the circle, the plates form different wearing-points, some of which will touch the circle at all times,

Serial No. 198,893. (No model.)

if another circle-plate were employed in. lieu of the plates 8 s. The ordinary king-bolt is passed through the body-bottom a and the block 9' at the center of the circle 0. By the use of double springs thus arranged and connected with the axles and body-bottom 11o braces are needed against backward and forward shucking of the body and running-gear, for each-spring thus secured 'is a brace to its neighbor spring, and prevents endwise rockmg.

The body-bottom a is independent of the box A, and is made without the ordinary side sills in the frames of vehicle-bodies. Under the botton1 a at each side is a truss, e, which supports the bottom against springing down in the center. The box A detachably sits on the bottom a, and is detachably secured by a suit-able number of bolts secured to the inside of the box and passed down through holes in the bottom. A nut is screwed on the lower end of the bolts. Fig. 4 illustrates this feature of the vehicle.

I make the reach by using a short piece of timber, B, with the ordinary means of connecting it with the forward axle; but instead of extending the timber B back to the rear axle I bolta metal strap, y, to. each side, and extend these straps divergently to the ends of the-rear axle, or near the ends, where they are secured to said axle. By this means the reach is light and cheaply made, and in the manufacture one strap, 3/, or both, can be moved forward or back on the side of the timber B, to provide for any inaccuracies of construc tion, and when the parts are in proper position can be bolted to the part B.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- The combination of a vehicle body and axle, an. elliptical spring on each side of the axle, the top of the springs being secured to the body resting on them, and trussed spring-supports centrally secured on the under side of the axle, the free ends of said supports being secured to the lower bows of the springs, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS R. BEVANS. Witnesses:

JOHN H. CHASE, FRED CARLTON. 

